Stay With Me
by Shellzyyy
Summary: Natsume's alice burns out his life and Mikan saves him. She has acquired a new ability to take away pain and heal but the pain is, instead, inflicted on herself. Persona trains her to control this and she is transferred to the Dangerous Ability class to work as a partner to Natsume Hyuuga.
1. Chapter 1 So This Is Pain

**Prologue:**

"You're stupid Polka, you can't defend yourself. Run! I will be right behind you." Natsume pushed Mikan toward the door, flinging his arm out towards the men in black gear stalking towards them with guns in the arms. Sweat poured down his face and into his eyes, as he concentrated on conjuring up fire as a barrier. The heat of the flames crackled with such an intensity, Mikan could feel it singing her skin, her eyes throbbing and sweat dripping down her temples. The flames licked the wall next to her as if urging her to go but she couldn't stop looking at Natsume. "Go Mikan", Natsume growls and Mikan hardly register that it's the first time Natsume's ever called her by her name. "You have to take care of Youichi!"

Everything went against the thought of leaving behind Natsume but Youichi was a four year old boy who could not defend himself from bullets. Strengthening her arms around the unconscious boy, she turned and pushed through the door. Her shoes slapped the floors of the empty corridors, devoid of all sound apart from the heavy panting coming from her. It was so quiet, if felt like to Mikan that everyone was sleeping, as if just a few seconds ago no men had just infiltrated into Gakuen Alice intent on killing everyone. Time slowed down for her as she thought about getting Youichi to safety; her vision narrowed to the pathway to safety, her hearing to the whistle of breath leaving Youichi's lips.

Mikan didn't once look back. She actually believed Natsume would soon follow.

To this day, she had never regretted anything more.

* * *

_**Promise me Natsume.**_

_**If you're ever captured by the enemy and you've exhausted all your options for escape…**_

_**When that happens... I want you to take your own life…**_

* * *

**Mikan POV:**

I kept running, thighs burning and my lungs wheezing for air. Suddenly, I was thrown back into a wall, shielding Youichi from the impact, as a massive explosion sounded throughout the corridors and a hot gust of air pushed me back. I could hear flames whistling the death song and suddenly, it occurred to me of what Natsume had done.

Natsume!

My eyes widened and my body went cold. I felt a hand tug at my shoulder.

"Mikan, it's me Misaki. What happened to Youichi?" I slowly turned to face Misaki, who appeared behind me. I handed Youichi to her.

"Youichi's fine, he may have just inhaled too many fumes. Take him back", I squeeze out. "But Natsume…"

Suddenly, it all comes back to me and I ignore Misaki's shouts for me to come back. My heart screams as I race down the corridor. My mind can't help replaying the explosion again and again. If anything happened. It would be my fault for leaving him alone. I hear Misaki shouting after me but I ignore her.

Natsume…

Natsume, please be okay…

But when I burst into the room, it's clear that death's smell is in the air; corpses of blacked charred bodies of men in gear litter the room and grey ashes float about in the thick air. And in front of me, Natsume is lying on his back; untouched by fire but unstirring. It looks like he's asleep but when I come closer, the blood from the corner of his mouth becomes clear.

"Natsume?...Natsume?..Natsume?" I croak and gather him in my arms. I already know but I still try to shake him, whisper to him, even make jokes about polka dots so he can open his eyes and tell me how stupid I am. At one point I even scream. But it's clear after a few seconds….he's dead, his alice burnt out his life span and he's not coming back.

My chest is ripping apart as I drape myself across his chest. My tears soak his shirts and I search out for that one sound but his heart beat is not there.

I squeeze my eyes. "Oh Kamisama", I sob, "If you're even out there. Please spare his life…." I raise my eyes to the ceiling in determination. "I will give you anything….Anything. If you let him live." And as if I had imagined it, the room shook in agreement. "I will give you my life."

For a while, I stayed there, clutching Natsume's body to my chest. I didn't realize when the teachers of the Gakuen rushed in. Narumi sensei pried my arms slowly from Natsume and held me as if inviting me to cry. But strangely, not a single tear was shedding from my eyes. It was as if I knew….

Beneath me, Natsume's chest suddenly shuddered.

"Oh Mikan…." Narumi sensei looked at me sadly and I knew then that he knew what I had done.

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

"Here are some flowers", Mikan's best friend Hotaru Imai thrust out a vase of flowers to her in an unexpected and rare show of worry; she smiled and graciously accepted them; it seemed like she had worried a lot of her classmates and teachers, whom had visited her in groups over the last few days. This morning, Hotaru, Ruka, and Youchi was visiting and she was filled with nothing but gratitude for them; after nearly losing Natsume, it had been decided that she needed to cherish all of her friendships.

"Thank you everyone", tears filled Mikan's eyes and threatened to overspill as she was overcome with emotion. Stuck in this hospital bed for more than a week, the experience was driving her crazy and up the walls; the bed linen and sheets were too rough and heavy, there was always a draft even though she made sure to close all the windows and the white walls were constricting; too clean, too tidy and blank. It was hard to breathe. But her friends always visited to keep boredom away.

"Sakura- san, please get better and come back to class. Everyone misses you", Ruka smiled gently, pulling back Youichi who was busy trying to clamber up Mikan and pull her hair. Next to her Hotaru frowned at this.

"What have you been doing in hospital for a week, you moron", Hotaru narrowed her eyes. "Even Natsume is ready to get discharged. You better not be trying to avoid school because you want to escape maths lessons."

Mikan laughed nervously, remembering Jinno's specific way of torturing her using maths. She gulped when she thought about everything she would have to catch up from.

In truth, her body was too weak for her to go back to the academy. She'd never felt so helpless, so vulnerable; unable to stand on her feet, feeling empty inside. Her heart would break when she'd thought about how Natsume lived in this state for so many years at the academy. After the night she had begged a god to bring Natsume back, Narumi- sensei explained that she had been given the ability to take pain from others but in turn, the pain would then be inflicted on her.

That night, she took some of the damage of Natsume's life-draining alice ensuring he would live, but doing that didn't solve problems; it just created new ones. She'd never forget the way Narumi sensei cried afterwards; he was always so happy, which annoyed a lot of people but had always comforted Mikan, but he was too shocked and heartbroken from what Mikan had just done to her own life.

"Don't ever use this ability", Narumi warned taking Mikan by her shoulders and looking into her eyes to make sure she understood. "The more you use it, the more it kills you."

"Thank you Ruka pyon", Mikan smiled and then pouted at Hotaru, "I am not trying to avoid anything, missing math lessons just an ehm….Unfortunate coincidence."

Ruka laughed. "Yeah, very unfortunate indeed." Grabbing Youichi by the waist, he hoisted him onto his shoulders much to Youichi's dismay. "We should go back to class. Oh and, Mikan", Ruka turns back from the doorway, " Jinno-sensei misses you the most."

Mikan laughed but quickly sobered when she saw Youichi's probing stare. He seemed to be sticking to her nowadays, although once he wouldn't go near her even when she asked because he preferred Natsume. He even stopped calling her ugly and annoying. It was slightly disconcerting. The four year old seemed to be able to sense her vulnerability and wanted to comfort her.

"Narumi sensei!" She sat up, spotting her next visitor, who was wearing his usual beret and happy smile. Shutting the door behind him with a click, he took a seat beside Mikan's bed and clasped her hands with his own.

"How are you doing?" He winked at her.

"I'm great otou-san", she flung her arms around his neck and he laughed patting her head. Mikan liked the way his chest rumbled when he did so, his deep sinewy voice vibrating as she lay her head on his shoulder.

"I knew you'd be fine. You're always are. You're so strong", his voice caught and Mikan sat up. "Mikan, this new ability is not particularly dangerous to others but it is dangerous to you. So I think we should get an alice control band for you."

Mikan was shocked. What Narumi sensei said made sense to her but she'd never thought she would need an alice control band; her powers were so little that she didn't really need one. It was actually a little exciting to her.

"Okay Otou-san." She leant back, "But I have one question. Will Natsume still be doing missions?" She saw Narumi turn his head slightly away and she suddenly felt furious, her fingers clenched the bed sheets so tightly they turned white. "I don't want him to! I didn't save him so that he could continue to use up his life!"

When Narumi still didn't speak, she pushed on. "If you do this, I will continue to heal him. I don't care what it might do to me. This academy is killing all of us anyway!"

Narumi covered his face with his hands, knowing he'd failed Mikan; when he first brought her in, she was bubbly and innocent but now, exposed to the dark side of the academy, she could never go back to unknowing; he could never undo what had happened. "I knew you would ask this. So I thought on it."

Turning his head to the door, he called, "come in."

The door slid open and slinky black heels clicked on the ceramic floor. Mikan felt fear as she looked up at the masked face of Persona. With his stiff lips and mask, she couldn't tell any emotion. He stood ram-rod straight and his voice was like a silky snake slithering up her spine.

"If there is anyone who knows control, it's Persona", Narumi explained.

"Mikan Sakura", Persona announced to her, "I will train your ability to take pain and you will be transferred to Dangerous Ability, working as a partner to Natsume Hyuuga and others. Do you agree?"

Mikan took this in and then met his eyes.

"I agree."

**A/N: This is the first fanfiction that i've ever written on here, so please tell me what you think! XD Constructive criticism is welcome! But no flames please. **

**(｡+･`ω･´)**


	2. Chapter 2 Rekindle

Chapter Two:

That afternoon, after she had been discharged, Narumi sensei took Mikan to central town. Mikan's eyes roamed in wonder around the town; no matter how many times she came here, it still seemed magical to her. On the right, many shops were selling unique, strange items, such as singing stationary in one particular shop and even a dancing apple from the vegetable stall. What captured her attention the most, however, was the very sweet syrupy scent of hawalon caressing her face as if daring her to come to the stall. Narumi noticed Mikan glancing longingly at the howalon stall, where a man was pouring sweet liquids from a spoon and sprinkling sugary powder as if concocting a spell itself to make howalon. He smiled slyly, he would have to take Mikan to the howalon store after they completed the purpose of their trip.

"Kazu!" He bellowed as they arrived to their destination and he pushed past the beaded curtains that made up the entrance door. A whoosh of air escaped from Mikan as she surveyed the shop where she was going to get her alice control band; it was quite narrow but that was because thousands of boxes seemed to be stacked up against one side of the wall. Silvers and golds all winked down at her merrily from the transparent cases.

"Hello Narumi!" A thin man with a fine face and a ponytail gazed down upon them. Mikan couldn't even begin to count how many piercing he had all over his face. Because there was just so many. The man noticed her staring and laughed. "They're not all Alice restrainers. I just like them." He winked. He was quite charming. Mikan was getting a good idea on why Narumi and Kazu seemed to be such good friends.

"Mikan needs an alice restrainer", Narumi explained.

"Alright, let me go and pick out some for you", Kazu gestured towards the couches and Mikan plopped herself on one. When Kazu returned, she studied various earrings, rings and bracelets.

"What do you think?" Kazu asked.

"I definitely don't think you should pick a ring. That stands out too much for someone your age", Narumi contemplated over her shoulder.

"I like that one", Mikan pointed to a gold earring that was in a shape of a star. Narumi nodded his agreement and Kazu led Mikan to a chair in the back room. When he draped a sheet around her neck, she suddenly realized what was going to happen.

"Narumi sensei, I think I should go with a bracelet after all", Mikan whispered in fear and he chuckled, holding her hand to comfort her.

Kazu started applying anesthetic to her right ear and pinching down her lobe, he quickly punched a needle through the flesh and then fed the earring in.

"Gaah", Mikan felt a flash of pain and she clamped down on Narumi's hand, who, to his credit, did not flinch. They left the shop and Mikan's ear felt tender; it hurt to be touched. Instead, she fingered the bracelet she got as well. It was a very thin and slinky gold band that was tight on her wrist and felt like a metallic elastic band. She was allowed to take off the bracelet for some cases but the earring, as was explained by Narumi, was to never be taken off. Narumi led her to the howalon store.

"Buy as much as you want. My treat." He winked.

Mikan immediately brightened up.

* * *

"Mikan, you're back!" Yuu, the class representative, ran up to greet Mikan and as soon as he said this,

everyone's head turned to the door. Anna and Nonoko threw their arms around Mikan.

"Ohayo, everybody", Mikan said cheerfully.

A gasp came from Anna. "What a cute earring!"

"Thank you Anna", Mikan beamed. She went down to her bench and looked at the empty spaces next to her; it seemed that Ruka and Natsume had not arrived. Suddenly, her lids felt heavy and her body ached; walking around central town seemed to have taken its toll on her. Drifting down onto the desk, she lay her face on the wood and slipped out of consciousness.

Natsume entered the classroom and scanned his surroundings, his gaze came to rest on a mop of brunette hair sprawled all over his desk. He had not seen Polka Dots since the night of the attack, when she had come back to save him despite him telling her to leave him. Unfamiliar feelings began to wage within him. He still found her to be annoying, noisy and really rather stupid, while also wearing some of the silliest underwear, but she had saved him and no one had really ever cared enough to ever save him apart from Ruka.

He still remembered when he had woken up from his blackout. Mikan was crying all over him and when he told her she shouldn't have come back for him, she suddenly yelled. "What were you thinking Natsume? Trying to sacrifice yourself?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does matter. "Mikan cried. "Who'd you think I came back for anyway?"

Natsume was shocked.

"I came back for you Natsume. You don't think anyone would miss you? Well Ruka would, and Youichi and our classmates and me." She had sniffled.

Natsume strided down to his bench. Mikan was blocking the way to his seat and normally, he would've kicked her to wake her up but today, he found himself walking back up the stairs and round to the other side in order to get to his seat. Ruka looked at him in a questioning manner but he looked away scowling and slid into the bench. He found himself looking down on Mikan, his eyes tracing her body; the way it seemed to slowly fall up and down with every breath she took.

"Everyone, get to your seats!" Jinno sensei had entered the classroom and an aura of electricity seemed to cackle around him. Everyone gulped, knowing that it was probably not a good day to piss him off; he seemed to be in a bad mood. When his eyes found Mikan's sleeping form at the back of the classroom, they seemed to pass, this shocked everyone who thought he would punish Mikan. But did Natsume just catch a hint of worry in his eyes as he looked at Mikan?

Ruka raised his eyebrows at him, when he caught Natsume staring at Mikan for a long time.

He scowled and looked away in anger.

Whatever. I don't really care.

Placing both his legs on the desk, he positioned a manga on his face and slept.


	3. Chapter 3 Stay Away From the Dark

Chapter 3:

"Sakura Mikan", Persona ran a cold slinky finger along her cheekbone. Trying not to gasp at the coldness of the metal alice restrainers touching her skin and stealing away her heat, she stared with fear and a little bit of anger up into his eyes; this was the man who'd endangered and tortured so many in the academy. She couldn't help feeling a little resentment.

He smirked as if reading her mind.

"We're going to have control what goes up in there." He tapped the side of Mikan's forehead. "And convert those unnecessary emotions into energy." Persona took out something that looked like two chunky metallic wristbands. "You will input this energy into your new ability and when it runs out…" Persona eyed Mikan and strapped the two wrist bands onto each of her slender wrists. Her arms immediately felt like they weighed a tonne. "It will be your life energy that is being sucked out. Understand?"

Mikan's mouth ran dry. She had never been particularly good at keeping up with fast explanations but something about Persona demanded that not taking in every last word would be fatal.

"What are these?" She asked. Persona twisted the wrist bands and something spiky clicked out, putting a sharp pressure on her skin.

"Alice Prisoner Bands." He twisted the other one. "They will tighten over time. I need you to convert your thoughts into energy. Visualize the energy keeping the bands up and away from your skin."

Mikan cleared her mind and imagined a ring of energy pulsing around her wrist, acting like a cushion. Immediately, the pressure exerted on her wrist loosened and she breathed.

Persona's lip curled. "Not time to relax yet. I want you to sit here for one hour and keep the prisoner bands from cutting you. "

_An hour? _Mikan could already feel herself strain. She heard Persona leave the room and looked around. It was one of the more forgotten rooms of the academy situated in an abandoned and degraded cottage further out on the academy grounds. The window was grainy and the lace curtain ripped, letting in little but a weak ray of grey ashen light. The floorboards she was sitting on felt thin and old, creaking when she shifted and she was leaning against an old stuffed armchair.

Half an hour later, she was already sweating. Her concentration was nearly shot but every time she lost herself to a random thought, she could feel the metal piercing and a small trickle of blood. Her legs were bent at an awkward angle but she didn't want to move them for the fear that she would joggle the prisoner band. When Persona finally came back, a sigh of relief escaped her mouth as he released the lock and the two wristbands fell to the floor with a thud. She had never felt so drained or so tired; the mental exercise had exhausted her. Most of all, her wrists were aching with pain. Looking down at her unwounded wrists, she gasped.

Persona followed her gaze and sighed. "They are for training. Not torture."

Mikan squeezed her eyes shut. If this was considered training, then what did Natsume and so many others have to go through?

She stood shakily on her legs.

"You will meet me at the edge of the woods every morning at 5." Persona announced coldly, turning his back on her and dismissing her almost immediately. "Don't be late."

Mikan left the room quietly, but as she turned back and looked at the solemn black figure standing near the window and seemingly gazing at something outside. She didn't know whether she should hate him or pity him. Someone like him must've gone through a lot to grow up to be how he is now.

_I don't want Natsume to become like that either._

About to descend the stairs of the abandoned cottage, at the corner of her eye, she caught blur of a white figure quickly shutting a door.

_Strange… _Mikan thought to herself. She must've imagined it.

* * *

Mikan stumbled out of the dense wood grounds. She was struggling to stay awake, seeing black spots in her vision. Finding the nearest sakura tree, she crawled under its broad leaves and leaned her back against its warm trunk. Closing her eyes, she was about to drift off….

"Natsume SAMA. Where are you?!"

Mikan's eyes jerked wide open at the sound of the shrill voice. She caught sight of a gaggle of girls in high school uniform giggling and looking around. Sumire was also there but she seemed to be angry, stomping her feet and dancing wildly in front of the girls as if to block them from venturing any further. "As the head of the Natsume and Ruka fan club. How DARE you go under my authority and disturb Natsume!" Sumire was shouting.

"Oh shut up, little girl." One of the highschool girls leant down, her long blond hair hitting Sumire in the face.

Mikan barely had time to think the words. _Natsume sure is popular… _Before she felt something clutching her waist and lifting her upwards.

"What the?!" Mikan began to scream but a hand covered her mouth stifling her cries and she began to calm down at a familiar scent and a pair of crimson eyes willing her to be quiet.

"Shut up Ichigo Pants. Or you'll give us away." Natsume hissed. Mikan nodded and he removed his hand.

Leaning back, he suddenly smirked, as if waiting for something to click in her head.

"Hang on…Ichigo...?" Looking down upon herself, she saw her legs tangled in the most awkward fashion and her skirt had ridden up giving Natsume a view of her underwear. Struggling to right her skirt much to his amusement, she was about to scream.

Natsume quickly grabbed Mikan's arm and whipped her around so that her back was pressed against his chest and his arms were circled around her body. She gasped, feeling heat flush through her cheeks.

"Ichigo Pants. Be quiet. I brought you up here because I thought that if those girls found you, there'd be another loud argument to disturb me." Natsume whispered next to her ear, Mikan shivered when his breath tickled her ear. Turning her head slightly, she saw the high school girls from before still tormenting Sumire.

Natsume held up one finger and all of the high school girls' hair started burning. They screamed, dispersing like wild geese and ran in the direction of the nearest water fountain. Sumire looked smug but a second later, a flame started to lick her curly hair. "Aaaah!" She screamed, following the girls and batting at her head with a cardigan.

"Just when I thought you were being nice." Mikan scoffed. Why would she even think that?

"They were annoying me."

Mikan made a move to get away from Natsume but his arms pinned her down. "Sleep." Natsume ordered. Mikan turned her head around to look at him in surprise, but his eyes were already closed. "You were sleeping earlier, and those brats woke me from my nap." He pushed her back. Shocked, Mikan complied, unable to tell whether Natsume was being nice or still being a jerk. But her eyes were already closing; her mind and body exhausted and soon she slipped into a peaceful sleep.


	4. Chapter 4 A Light In the Dark

Chapter Four:

"**Can you promise to keep him safe?" The woman grasped his wrist, looking up to search his face for sincerity. The shadow under the brim of her hat and the darkness of the night concealed her face but the flames in the background casted off enough light to reveal, to Persona, the woman's beauty. Her face was fine and chiseled with an aristocratic nose and rose colored lips that looked soft to touch. Persona couldn't decide whether her eyes were dark hazel or very brown with a hint of red. All he knew was that they burned passionately; the type of eyes that he could never forget even if he wanted to.**

"**I will try my hardest." Persona replied and she nodded, handing over a sleeping toddler, who looked about eight. Unaware of the blazing fires roaring around him, he looked peaceful and angelic in his sleep. Persona grabbed hold of the woman as she tried to turn away. "Wait, where are you going?"**

"**My daughter and my husband are still in there." She nodded to the village. "I need to find them."**

**Persona's arm dropped as he watched her turn away. Her black coat billowed behind her, and her raven's hair whipped out from under her hat. She looked like a night angel.**

** Right at the last minute she turned around. "Oh and", her eyes softened. "Tell him it's not his fault okay? Tell him as many times possible…"**

* * *

Persona would never forget those eyes as long as he breathed, and he remembered them just as vividly now. He knew he had failed her. When he found out the boy had died, albeit briefly, he saw the woman accusing him in his dreams.

"I won't let it happen again." Persona swore under his breath.

In the Elementary division, Persona paced the winding corridors, unnoticed by the academy children who only felt a slight chill as he passed. Principal Kuonji's eyes were on him, never leaving him, never allowing him freedom; reminding him of the pact that bound Persona to him. Persona could never dare to disobey him, and because the elementary principle knew that he held a soft spot for Hyuuga siblings, Principal Kuonji targeted Natsume the most.

Persona never looked back, for the fear of giving a sign of his weakness, even as he walked out of the elementary division. The elementary grounds was vast and widespread, but his back still remained taut and still as if knowing that the elementary principal's gaze was raking his skin.

Reaching the middle school's ground, he came to a halt as he spied the boy and Mikan Sakura in a tree. He closed his eyes, picturing that woman's eyes briefly, before opening them to look at Mikan Sakura.

Maybe he could keep his promise after all.

* * *

Natsume sensed Persona's presence immediately, jolting up and accidently hitting Mikan in the face.

"Oof", Mikan cried. She glared at Natsume for hitting her, and she had been having such a nice dream until now. Confusion clouded her mind as she saw Natsume getting ready to leap off the tree. "Where are you going Natsume?"

When Natsume looked back, Mikan was surprised by the intensity of the coldness he was sending to her. His voice was even colder. "None of your business, Ugly."

"Why are you like this?" Mikan felt tears rushing to her eyes in her frustration. One minute Natsume was being nice; doing things like hugging her that made her sure that he felt something for their friendship (maybe even more) but the next minute, before she knew it, he was treating her like a stranger.

Natsume continued to look coldly at her. "Why are you always so annoying? You're always pestering me and running after me. I told you many times. You should stay away from me."

_You should stay away from the darkness… _

The last few whispered words shocked Mikan as Natsume leaped out the tree. Persona's presence was still unfelt by her and Natsume quickly disappeared with him, leaving Mikan alone in the sakura tree orchard.

"But Natsume…" A tear fell down her cheek as she stared at the spot Natsume had been in.

_It's too late…_

* * *

A flurry of autumn leaves flew into the air as Natsume kicked through them. His blood boiled knowing that he had been careless. Persona had surely seen Mikan sitting next to him.

"Principal Kuonji has picked out the next task." Persona cleared his throat. "But you should be careful. You were just hospitalized."

Disbelief flashed through Natsume as he stared incredulously at him. Were those words of _worry_? Studying Persona, he couldn't make out any emotion as his teacher's lip was still thin and stiff and the mask covered his eyes.

"There are people." Persona paused; he wasn't good at phrasing his thoughts. "Who care about you."

Fury crashed through Natsume at the sound of those words and he clenched his fists.

"I will do what you want", he snarled.

_So don't hurt the people I care about._

Seeing the hatred in the boy's eyes, Persona turned away and sighed. His words must've come across as a threat. It wasn't really a surprise; he deserved to be hated by him.

* * *

"Ah, Mikan." Hotaru swiveled around in her seat, levelling a cool purple gaze on her best friend. She was holding a mallet and seemed to be in the middle of inventing something. "There you are."

Mikan sniffled. She had wiped off her tears but now she was pouting, a look that was familiar to Hotaru as she linked it to a certain boy.

"Has he been bullying you?" Hotaru asked calmly. Mikan nodded and Hotaru took out her baka gun, firing a shot at Mikan's head.

"Hotaru! What did you do that for?" She whimpered, holding her head. In fact, if there was anyone she should've shot her baka gun at, it was Natsume.

"I wouldn't shoot at Hyuuga, would I?" Hotaru replied calmly, twiddling with her toy on the desk again. "You were stupid enough to get hurt by him again. I really wish you wouldn't waste my baka bullets."

"Imai-san, don't tell me you're afraid of Natsume?" Ruka stopped by Mikan.

In response to his question, Hotaru's head swiveled around giving him a very blank 'are you stupid' face. "Of course I am", she said candidly, "he could burn my lab down. "

"I reckon Imai could probably take him though", Mikan commented. She'd never seen Hotaru go up against Natsume but with all those inventions, wouldn't she be invincible against his power? She started formulating a plan in her head.

"Mikan…." Hotaru sighed. "Hypothetically, if I happened to piss him off and I protected my lab with a watering system, he could burn that down in mere seconds rendering my lab unprotected. If I build another water defense. He will burn that down too. Do you understand? I don't have that many hands to build water systems each second."

Hotaru's head swiveled back and Ruka turned red, while Anna and Nonoko, nearby, laughed nervously. Mikan was impressed that her best friend had calculated everything out although she couldn't understand everything that she'd just said.

Mikan suddenly felt something hugging her leg. Looking down, she was surprised to see Youichi.

"Onee-chan."

Everyone froze. They'd never heard Youichi call Mikan anything other than Ugly or Stupid. They were used to seeing Mikan try to coax Youchi into letting her touch him or trying to coax him into calling her a different name. Sumire, who'd just come in and witnessed what had happened, rushed to Youichi and crouched before him.

"Yo-chan. Call me Onee-chan as well."

"Ugly."

Sumire's eyebrow twitched. "Okay, how about Oka-saaan?"

"Permy."

Youichi climbed into Mikan's lap and stoically watched Sumire turn red and then try to laugh it off. He started playing with and rubbing her wrists. Mikan was shocked; he was definitely very perceptive and smart for a four year old.

* * *

The next day, Mikan walked to the edge of the woods and found Persona holding out the Prisoner Bands.

"Again." He ordered.

Over the next few days, Persona increased the time she wore the bands bit by bit but she also found that she was starting to find it getting easier to manipulate the energy around her body. Once, Persona even ordered her to wear the bands under her sleeves throughout the school day. Natsume continued to ignore her and most days, Mikan couldn't find the energy to annoy him into talking to her as she was so worn out all the time.

The dozing in class hadn't gone unnoticed by Natsume though.

"_Hey Polka", he kicked her. _

"_Ow. Why'd you do that?" Mikan glared at him. _

"_Your snoring is annoying me."_

_Mikan almost shouted but had refrained herself at the last second, "I do not snore, you pervert."_

_He scoffed._

Today, however, Persona seemed to be wanting to do something different.

"Sit there", he pointed a slender finger at a tuft of green grass in front of a flower bed. Mikan obeyed, feeling curious at why he wanted her to admire the flowers.

Persona slipped some of the alice restrainer rings off his fingers and breathed deeply. It felt different to when he was trying to threaten a student by showing off his ability. Instead, it felt like he was exposing himself, a vulnerability that he hadn't felt in a long time. Breathing out, he slowly reached out to a flower and touched its petal. As expected, the soft texture turned dry under his fingers. The flower's life stems cracked and crumbled and the colour drained out, leaving a shriveled brown flower, robbed of its previous grandeur.

He looked anxiously at Mikan but felt relieved when he didn't see fear.

Mikan, herself, was trying to not show too many emotions on her face. Of course, she was surprised but she was starting to understand the kind of person Persona was. To have the ability of the touch of death, and to grow up understanding that everything you touched would die.

She didn't say anything.

"Take off your bracelet." Persona said.

Mikan looked down at the gold band that was one of her alice restrainers and took it off.

"I want you to give your energy to the flower I just touched," he explained. "But use only the excess energy you manifest. Anything beyond that is life threatening, you hear me?"

She nodded and concentrated on making her thoughts into energy. The flower felt weak and limp under her hand and she had a strong urge to save it. Envisioning the energy flowing into the flower, she felt it expand and get plumper and also felt herself getting drained. When she finished, the flower was returned to its original state.

"Well done."

Persona's compliment was barely heard by Mikan. Slumping to her side, she felt herself fall into a dark abyss as she promptly blacked out.

* * *

"Narumi. It's best if you take her back to her room." Persona handed Mikan to Narumi, who regarded him coldly.

"Rei", Persona flinched at the sound of his name, "you better not be hurting Mikan." Narumi narrowed his eyes. "We made that deal because you wanted to protect Natsume, I understand that. But if in any way this is hurting Mikan, I will kill you myself."

Persona looked at the former Dangerous Ability student. He was suddenly reminded that Narumi had once been on missions for the academy and had probably killed before. He wasn't completely that sweet, happy-go-lucky, teacher that everyone was probably sick of.

He met Narumi's eyes. "I don't think you have to worry about that. Mikan's strong. Her desire to protect those she loves fuels her ability." He turned away and mused out loud.

"She steps into the darkness but it doesn't touch her because her light chases it away."

**A/N: Please tell me what you think XD!**


	5. Chapter 5 She was Mikan

Chapter Five:

Mikan awoke to a blinding strip of sunshine that had been shining through the curtains and filtering across her face. She dragged her duvet over her head in annoyance and her eyes immediately snapped open, when she took in the fact that she was still dressed in her uniform.

_What the?_

"What happened last night?"

Her head felt strange and sluggish; as if her thoughts were chugging slowly down a drain and against her own will, her body slumped back onto the bed, while her arm mechanically gripped the edge of the duvet to once more cover herself and provide a perfect place for hibernating further. The comfortable atmosphere did not last for long, when a sudden chill ran down her back as she felt something making its presence known.

"How nice", came a slick voice, "just how long were you going to make me wait for you?"

Mikan sat up hurriedly, looked at the alarm clock next to her that read 6 am (when she was supposed to meet Persona at 5) and saw Persona sitting on her dresser table languidly, gazing at her with a blank look that betrayed no emotion across his white marble face. For this reason, Mikan was not sure whether he was angry or not and so, chose to keep silent.

"The lesson is cancelled. Students are starting to wake up and it would be a bad situation for you, if someone saw you going into the forest", his lip curled downwards showing his displeasure.

Mikan searched for the courage within her to speak. "Um, if you don't mind me asking…What happened yesterday?"

"You fainted in the middle of our training session." Persona leisurely crossed his legs. "Narumi was the one to carry you back."

_Oh…_ The thought that Persona had maybe carried her back to the dorm, laid her in her bed and then tucked her within the duvet firmly, as she had found herself this morning, like a father, had been nagging at her mind but she guess she was wrong.

"Still the progress that you made was certainly impressive." A small arch of the lips graced his face. "It's only been over a week."

"Of course." Mikan said firmly. "You're still making Natsume do missions, am I right? In that case, there really isn't any time to waste."

He looked away. "The rate you are going. You're nowhere near going to the dangerous ability class."

His words stunned Mikan. "But why?! You said I was making good progress, wasn't I?"

The next look that Persona gave her, chilled Mikan into silence. It was a final look. "I did say that. But do you understand that you're a liability? You cannot defend yourself and saving a mere flower sent you headlong to the ground. You not cut out for it."

"So what do I do?" Mikan said, near tears. She gripped her covers; why was she so weak? "Teach me how to fight."

"What idiotic words. You do not have an offensive Alice. Sending you out there to fight against something like a fire alice would be pointless." Suddenly, in two short strides, he was across the room and was tilting Mikan's chin up, surveying the tears that were about to drop from her eyes.

"What do I do then?" Mikan stared determinedly back into his cold eyes and he dropped his hand, stepping back like an apparition.

He smirked. "What else can I do? I will train your puny nullification and your other ability to the limit and beyond. I will push both in ways you will have never imagined, and in return…" Leaning close, he whispered. "You _will_ never participate in a mission. Do we have an understanding?"

Mikan nodded as his back retreated and closed her eyes; she thought that the breath Persona had blown across her neck was turning to ice.

If I am able to protect Natsume, everything will be fine, she thought.

Are you happy now Narumi? Persona thought as he strode across the room and shut the door behind him. His black shoes tapped the floors silently as he appeared to walk gracefully down the hallway of the dormitories, like a black cat.

"_I will not hurt her Narumi". Persona's voice was like curled iron. They had almost once been friends but now the history between them was too much; the past was too dark to simply blot out of mind. _

_Narumi narrowed his eyebrows. "How will you make sure of that, when you can't even protect Natsume or Yuu_"_

_Persona's fingers cracked one of his silver Alice restrainers, which came apart on the ground and shriveled into fine black dust. "You shouldn't say their names to me so casually Narumi."_

_He turned to go but then a hand grabbed is arm. Narumi…. He had never been afraid of confronting Persona or death and it was one of the reasons why there had once been a friendship spark between them. "Then I will ask you this. How will you protect her if she goes on missions?" _

"_Let go of me", Persona said simply. He turned. "I just will."_

"Ow…" Mikan whined. Her head felt like a grand piano had just slammed into her and knocked her about. Swinging her legs out of her bed, she wobbled her towards her dresser and tried to fix the bumps of bedhead. It was no good. Her arms felt like spaghetti. _It feels like I just had an intensive work out, haha_, she smiled to herself.

Trying to walk straight, slowly but surely, she made her way to her classroom and using all of her weight, pushed the door open.

"Oh hi, Mikan!" Yuu waved at her and surely enough, Mikan beamed back at him. Inchou was such a nice person! She thought. He looked at her and blanched.

"Oh, wow you look terrible."

"Hotaru!" Yuu whispered loudly. "You can't say things like that."

Her bemused gaze swiveled onto him and he shrunk back. "Why should I lie?"

"Oh, I know!" Anna and Nonoko came to greet them. "Mikan, did you run the practice Obstacle Race yesterday?"

"Um…" Mikan wavered. _Obstacle race? What is that?_

Nonoko laughed. "Oh, of course you of all people would. I heard most of the people who went through it started by boasting how easy it would be but when they returned, I heard they looked like they were near death!"

"Oh, Mikan! You were so brave for going through it. Are you alright?" Anna asked worriedly. "I heard the Alice Obstacle race is quite a legend of this school."

"Um…Ah..Yeah…" Mikan mumbled. It would be convenient to pass her recent fatigue on this _race._

Suddenly, she felt something kick at the back of her thighs and her legs gave away, making her slump face first into the ground.

"Sakura-san! Are you okay?" Ruka was suddenly there, holding her and trying to prop her up. Clutching her bruised head with tears in her eyes, she looked up at the culprit. The culprit himself, was staring back in shock, his eyebrow twitching as if thinking… _How the hell was I to know that she was going to fall over like a wet noodle from a simple kick? Who does that anyway?_

"Natsume!" Mikan screamed. "You stupid pig!"

"Mikan recently ran in the Alice Obstacle Race… You know…The one that is quite famous in this school." Yuu explained, glancing worriedly at Mikan on the floor.

Sumire who had just walked into the classroom, heard this and smirked. "Oh? That's interesting." She opened to her mouth to say more but then, Narumi came in, clapping his hands to signal the start of homeroom.

Sniffling, Mikan was trying to get back up when she felt an arm clutch hers and lift her onto the bench. She turned a bewildered eye towards Natsume, who was avoiding her gaze.

"You were being so pathetic down there. I had to do something to stop it", Natsume turned his head away and Mikan felt something like her chest constrict.

_Oh wow, this idiot has made my chest hurt with annoyance_, she thought.

"I'm sure as everybody knows, every year, we hold a sports competitions," Narumi-sensei was announcing to the class. "But something even more exciting is taking place this year! Every five years, a special event comes to take place and it's of course the infamous Alice obstacle course!"

A deathly tense silence followed this speech and hung over the students' head. Mikan swiveled her head around, wondering what was wrong.

"Of course", Narumi winked and wagged his finger, "It's not a normal obstacle course. They are challenges and quests that take place with the help of Alices! The age boundaries have been lowered this time, so your grade are the youngest to participate. Isn't it wonderful? Oh…" He sighed. "How I wish I were a youth once more so I could take part. Hands up for who wants to participate!"

No one put their hands up but seemed to turn their heads slightly away as if to avoid looking at him. It was so quiet, you could hear a twig snap. Frustrated, Narumi pouted. "But why? Such a fun sounding event."

Anna, who was feeling a little sorry for Narumi, spoke up. "Uh, sensei… Last time, half of participants came back with wounds. Some even came back with amnesia."

"I heard it was hell", another boy shouted.

"My brother came back and said he would never be the same."

"Someone told me they couldn't find any water for two days!"

"Why have they not banned this?"

Narumi put his hands up. "Now now", he laughed, "the reason why they have lowered the age requirements is because they have made everything a lot safer and easier. It's not supposed to be that easy in the first place. In the olden days, knights from various courts used to be tested on their worth through a much more dangerous and harsher version. Clans would set off on pilgrimages to seek enlightenment. Now you get the chance, why not take it?"

Silence.

Narumi suddenly smirked, refusing to be put down. "You know… I heard one of the of the prizes for the winner is…A TRIP TO THE BEACH FOR THE WHOLE CLASS."

This perked everyone's attention up, including Mikan's. Boys and girls alike, who had not stepped out of the academy in years- some even having grown up in the academy and had never even seen a real beach could not believe the sound of such an opportunity. They could already imagine the ocean roaring in the near distance already.

"Mikan, why don't you do it?!" Sumire smirked. "I mean. You already went to the practice race. You have the most experience out of everybody here."

Eh…? Shock filled Mikan as all eyes turned to her. She saw the hope lighting up in their eyes. Turning her head to look at Natsume, she found he wasn't looking at her.

_It would be nice if Natsume could see the beach again_, Mikan thought quietly to herself and shrugged.

"Ok."

At this response, cheers rained down and she grinned. Just for that, she would gladly take on any challenge, be it hard or not.

"You Idiot."

Huh? Her eyes widened. She heard the same words spoken from both sides of her. One right next to her and the other further down the aisle. The whole class went silent as they took in the extraordinary sight before their eyes. Three hands were raised in the air.

"Hotaru, Natsume and Ruka?!" Mikan exclaimed. Her eyes became as round as saucers, "no way!"

"I'd like to participate as well." Hotaru said calmly.

"Um, me too." Ruka stammered.

"Tch." Natsume looked annoyed.

Clapping his hands together, Narumi laughed in glee. "That's great news you four!"

The class commenced cheering once again. "Wow, Natsume, Ruka and Hotaru are doing it as well? We actually have a chance at winning!"

Mikan smiled and Natsume smirked. He was trying to see whether she would take what they had just said to heart. But of course she wouldn't. She was Mikan.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE (PLEASE READ):**

**Thank you everyone who reviews, favourites and follows this story. It means so much to me and it motivates me to continue! Please keep doing what you guys are doing because it is part of what makes up this story and makes it better as well, haha.  
**

** I would like to explain why I put this story on hiatus. It's because I have been having mock examinations the past month and wow, i am sure glad they are over. So I would like to apologize to all my readers for my absence but I will update now. **

**What do you think of this chapter? I had fun writing thi_s. _I'm thinking of doing a time skip because we all know that Mikan can't be trained to the point where she's ready to join the DA class in like two weeks haha. But that's where the plot really starts and now it's just all funz :) **

**Also, did you notice how dense Mikan is?**

_'Oh wow, this idiot has made my chest hurt with annoyance_, she thought.'

Sure... That's why it hurts... (¬_¬)

Tell me what you think!


	6. Chapter 6 A Wolf has Appeared

**Chapter 6**

"Hai! My lovely students, welcome to the induction meeting room for the Alice obstacle race. You will meet tons of highly skilled students here who will compete with you and your fearsome, brutal, trainer! Are you ready?" Narumi flung his arm out, dramatically, towards a closed door but was met with silence. Since it was a door belonging to an abandoned lecture room, it was a bit shabby, with peeling paint and a lopsided faded 'class 3-D' sign.

"Move", Hotaru said expressionless, suddenly holding a baka gun in her right hand threateningly, while Mikan punched a fist in the air and yelled "yeah!"

Towards the back, Natsume had his back turned to them, his hands stuck moodily in his pockets. Ruka had stepped away from Hotaru, shielding his bunny's eyes. Grouchily, Mikan wondered, to herself, about why the hell Natsume had bothered to come when he seemed so pissed off at everything.

"Hotaru, you wouldn't…Not a teacher…" Narumi chuckled nervously, trailing off. "Eh, alright. Prepare yourselves!"

He pushed open the door with a creak and the group was met with extremely poor sight. The inside of the lecture room was just as derelict as the door itself. Whistles of the wind could be heard from cracks in the bare walls, layers of dust covered the floor, except where footprints revealed the wood panels underneath and the rows of adjoined desks, dark and weathered with age, looked like they would crumble with weight. At the front, a trembling man, most commonly known as the 'substitute', whom Narumi, himself, frequently left in charge of Mikan's homeroom class (much to his disdain), was gulping in fear at the sight of them.

"Yes, our fearsome, brutal, trainer indeed." Hotaru remarked drily. She started twiddling with a control panel. "Maybe I should test how brutal he is..."

"Now, now Hotaru", Narumi laughed, "I heard this is temporary so…"

Meanwhile, Mikan had a strong urge to kick Natume after she heard a loud, "Hn" in the background. "Natsume", she whispered as she sidled up to him. "Liven up a bit! The Obstacle race is going to be really fun since we're all together."

"Are you stupid, Polka?" Natsume scoffed.

Mikan was undeterred. "Since you never, ever, join in with any of the Alice festivals. I mean…To exclude the DA class is a bit extreme but now you get to join in with an event, isn't it great?"

Natsume flicked Mikan's forehead.

"Ow!"

"Idiot, the others have already gone in."

She whirled around, only to find that he had spoken the truth, although she couldn't stop the words "meanie" from leaving her mouth as she followed Natsume's retreating back. Under the gaze of many students, who were clearly older and more experience than her, she couldn't help feeling nervous. When seated, she saw that Natsume's face was impassive although she could hear the rippling murmurs surfacing at the appearance of the fire user.

"Uhh, everybody, My-y name is Fukutan." The substitute teacher at the front said, trembling. "I'll be teaching you health and safety until your trainer arrives." He raised his hand and in a painfully, awkward, manner wrote 'Health and Safety Rules' slowly on the board. As he was about to write his name, the chalk snapped. "Sorr-Sorry, everybody, I will get more chalk." And with that, he ran out of the classroom.

"Hotaru, what are you doing?" Mikan asked, confused, when she saw her friend standing up.

"I'm leaving, but you can do as you wish." She replied without a glance back.

"Oh, but Fukutan sensei…" Mikan protested, she glimpsed Natsume and Ruka following. "Natsume and Ruka pyon!"

"Sorry, Sakura-san but we have better places to be", Ruka said apologetically.

Natsume, stuffed his right hand into his pocket, and mockingly waved, nonchalantly, at Mikan. "Do as you wish." He said sarcastically.

"Well, fine! I will", Mikan huffed. She sat there as they left and proceeding to endure one of the longest and most boring lectures about health and safety, she nodded off to sleep.

* * *

Mikan felt a light breeze brush over her back and shivered; she was so cold but why? Wasn't she in her room? Opening her eyes slowly, she raised her head, disorientated and glanced around the empty lecture room in confusion.

It was now night time and the moon was filtering in, casting the whole room in its silvery moon light. A flash of annoyance ran through Mikan's head as no one had bothered to wake her, which quickly turned into a more, undesirable, emotion.

Fear.

Suddenly, all the ghost stories that Anna and Nonoko had ever told; the old alice user who was still looking for his body, and the two students that had been buried alive…. And all of Inchou's haunted house illusions flickered in front of Mikan's eyes.

Then a terrifying thought occurred to her.

If there were such a thing as alice users….Why not ghosts?

"No reason to be scared. I come from the countryside after all", Mikan whispered to herself. She crept across the room, wincing at the creaks the floor boards made and stood, stiff as a board, as she lay her hand upon the handle. "Now or never", she whispered, saying the words that her oji-chan used to always say.

Flinging open the door, Mikan ran blindly into the darkness, hoping that she was heading the right way. Her feet pounded the floor and echoed throughout the hallway. The thought of this alerting some ghost, only spurred her to run faster. The corridor seemed to wind on forever, the only relapse from the dark was when she passed a window. Eventually, she burst outside into the cool breezy night and bent forwards, trying to catch her breath.

Freezing, she recognized the voices that were conversing near the sakura orchard.

"Your mission is relatively low risk this time. I am sending you to train someone who will be transferring to Gakuen Alice America soon. However, don't expect to be back anytime soon. I want him fully deemed ready."

"Alright." Natsume's sullen voice replied.

"You may leave."

Natsume turned and disappearing in a blip, he appeared again at the school entrance, where a car was waiting for him, while Persona watched from the shadows. Mikan's heart jumped in her chest and she began to run towards him as the car pulled away.

"Stop." Persona grasped Mikan, pulling her to a halt.

"You promised you wouldn't put his life in danger anymore!" Mikan protested; she felt her eyes watering as she tried to pound Persona.

He batted her away. "He is not in danger. I sent him on a mission where he doesn't need to use his alice or put his life in danger. It's a long one as well, which means he will escape Principal Kuonji's focus for now."

He waited for Mikan's breathing to get lighter. "I promise you, he will not be harmed. "

Mikan was silent.

"More importantly, you should get stronger during the time he's away. You understand?

"Yes." Mikan didn't need telling. She was going to get stronger so that he no longer had to carry all of the burden by himself. She promised herself and him that.

* * *

[A MONTH LATER]

"Do it now Mikan", Persona crossed his arms and leant back onto a tree. His silhouette had completely melted into the shadows, leaving Mikan with a sense of being alone. The trees rustled as Mikan breathed in. A slinky sound echoed the throughout the flower orchard, behind the abandoned cottage that they frequently met in, as Mikan's Alice restrainer fell to the ground. Briefly shutting her eyes, a breeze caressed her eyelids and when she opened them…She was surrounded by a death landscape.

_I can do this…_Mikan clenched her fists as she thought about everything that she had learnt. Over the last two months, Persona had trained her as promised; pushing her ability and power to a new limit. A month ago, she couldn't even save a flower without completely draining her energy but now…

Everywhere, flowers were turning brown, retreating into themselves as they shriveled and crumbled. The grass was also blackening and the blackness crept outwards like a growing spider web, until it started climbing up the trunks of the trees. Mikan flung her arm out and imagined pushing out a shield that covered the whole expanse of dying land. She concentrated on her energy levels, exchanging her energy with the poisonous energy that had infiltrated the grounds little by little, in moderation. Persona had taught her the difference between the waste energy she could use and her own life energy. Then he had trained her so that she could generate more waste energy at a faster rate.

Soon enough, the grounds were restored and the flowers stood with renewed youth. But the danger had still not retreated. She could feel another wave of death's touch upon her and she immediately pushed out a nullification shield around her. As if colliding with the barrier, the death's touch immediately cascaded away. A huge branch was suddenly heading towards her head. Mikan gasped and closed her eyes but when she opened them again and she saw that the branch had dropped onto the ground.

Mikan sat on the ground in shock. Persona approached her with a blank face and looked down upon her.

"As I thought. If the nullification ability is reinforced enough. It can even block physical objects."

"I_", Mikan's face was white, "I thought you were trying to kill me."

"What? A mere branch", Persona scoffed in reply. "If you aren't prepared to defend yourself from that, then you will never join the dangerous ability class."

"But how did I stop it in the first place? I thought nullification nullifies alices", she asked confused.

"In the first place, Mikan", Persona tilted his head, "nullification is a rare alice, so there isn't that much data on it. Secondly, the people who have the nullification alice seem to be people who have a strong desire to protect others, so it does not seem unreasonable if you are able to block objects that contain a violent intent."

"I_see?" This new revelation shocked Mikan, though she frowned at the words 'violent intent'.

"Of course, you wouldn't be able to use it on a normal basis. But it might save your life someday."

"Ok." Mikan breathed.

Persona stared at her. "You've been a surprisingly fast student Mikan. I believe that you might be able to join the dangerous ability class in the coming weeks at the very most."

Her chest constricted at his words; she had been working so hard to get to this point. She couldn't believe it would be so soon.

"I have a favor to ask", Mikan looked up at him almost hesitatingly but then straightened as if strengthening her resolve, "can you grant it?"

She held her breath as Persona's icy stare searched her in a brief moment of silence, while his black orbs remained as expressionless as ever. "If it is in my power, I will see."

Mikan took a deep breath and opened her mouth….

* * *

"Late as always", Hotaru remarked as she sat at the desk of one of the lecture rooms and coolly typed quickly on a control panel with one hand, her fingers zooming over the screen. It was quite a sight to behold; a middle school student sitting on a bench, with her feet not quite reaching the ground, yet all of the older students seemed to have cleared a space around her as if in fear.

"Hotaru." Mikan's face crumbled and broke out into a beaming smile. "You came!" She threw herself at her best friend but found herself bouncing off a hard bumpy surface. Biting back tears as she had landed on the floor, she looked up to see the cushion Hotaru had been resting on had inflated to a large size. "Meanie", she pouted, accepting Ruka's hand as he pulled her up.

A hand ruffled Mikan's hair. "A little birdie told us our trainer is arriving today."

"Tsubasa-nii!" Mikan twisted around and hugged his waist.

"Yes, our lazy- ass instructor has finally decided to show themselves."

Mikan bent her head around to see Misaki winking at her. She grinned back. When she had discovered that her fellow sempais from the special ability class had come to participate, she was overjoyed. It was actually no surprise; Tsubasa and Misaki loved seeking danger as much as it sought them and Misaki would never turn down a challenge.

"Where's the fire-y little o'chibi?" Tsubasa commented. "I haven't seen him at all."

Mikan bit her lip. To others, they probably weren't surprised that Natsume skipped so many classes. But she herself knew that he was on missions for the academy and if it weren't for Persona's own reports about Natsume, she would be worried that he wasn't safe. Sometimes, she caught Ruka glancing worriedly out of the windows. She wished she could talk to him about it but she wasn't supposed to know and if she did talk, then her other secret may come to light…

A door banged behind them and they jumped. "Alright, everyone to their seats!" A voice ordered them.

Turning around, Mikan caught sight of a tough woman with bright, vivid, red hair pulled into a ponytail and jellied into spikes. Her eyes flashed a dangerous green, while a lollypop stick was stuck in at the corner of her mouth. She wore a tank top and slightly baggy trousers, while emitting an aura of 'don't annoy me'. The students all scrambled into their seats at her glare.

"You may call me Lilika-sensei", she introduced herself. "I'm an old student of the academy and I won the Alice obstacle race in my time, so I know what I'm talking about." Mikan watched, mesmerized, as the lollipop stick lolled around to the other side of her mouth. "I'm going to train your bodies and your alices. To be honest, the academy canoodles all of you too much. I am betting you wouldn't be able to survive in the event by yourself, for one day, without crying for your mummies. But that's going to change."

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed and her pupils flitted to the door. "Who's there? Someone who dares to be late?"

The door slowly swung open.

Time stopped for Mikan. She felt her heart jumping in her chest as she saw who came in and her lips parting in a small 'o'. Her hand gripped her sleeve and for the first time, she realized that she had missed him.

And he was looking right at her.

"Hey, you. Don't ignore me", Lilika called after him, annoyed, as he started his way up the stairs.

"Shut up", Natsume shot back, turning around to glare at her. Lilika's eyes widened in surprise and then she began laughing.

"Well, if it isn't the little brat." She chuckled. "You've grown up."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Lilika only laughed harder. "Well, there's no mistaking that attitude. But we'll get to that later." She snapped her attention back to the bewildered class.

"Natsume…" Mikan whispered. She wasn't quite sure why her heart was making circles in her chest but nevertheless, she moved up the bench, allowing Natsume to slide in. The way he immediately placed his legs on the desk, was so familiar, it was as if he had never left. She couldn't listen to what Lilika was saying but then, a few hands shooting in the air up brought her attention back to the class immediately.

"What's your alice, Lilika-sensei?" A middle school boy asked.

Lilika's eyes gleamed in response. "Good question. My alice is magnification and diminishing." She held up a small hammer. "Say if I take this hammer and then…" The hammer suddenly became lifesized and a sound of awe filled the room. The hammer then shrank back but to an even smaller size and she pocketed it. Mikans' own mouth was wide open, while Hotaru had suddenly became very animated. "Interesting….Interesting." She was muttering to herself.

"Anymore questions? No. Then we're going to the training grounds!" Lilika pounded a fist into the, poor, unassuming, desk. "Let's not waste time. Get up."

By training grounds, she referred to the small field, which Persona sometimes made her run around. She hated this place because she knew that some places were weedy, cutting at your ankles, while in some places, the soil was so saturated with water, your shoe would sink in and you would stumble. "Start running 10 laps", Lilika commanded, then, "hang on a second." She said, stopping those who were about to start.

Lilika closed her eyes and Mikan gasped as the field suddenly doubled, tripled, quadrupled its size. The trees at the back were so far, they looked like stumps. Everyone groaned, while Lilika grinned maliciously. "Start your running now! Go!" She glanced at each of them. "Hey, you, brat", she said, referring to Natsume. "Stay behind."

Mikan started running, feeling her thighs start to burn around halfway the first lap. Suddenly, she witnessed something whooshing past her on metal legs. "Hotaru! That's so unfair!" Mikan's lip quivered.

"Dummy. No one ever said this was against the rules." Hotaru merely replied.

"Yes, as long as you can get around with your own ability." Lilka said; she'd magnified her voice so that they could hear.

"Sorry, Sakura-san. I really hate running." Ruka said apologetically, from beside her. Whistling a tune in the air, a stallion, from the animal farm, suddenly galloped towards them. Ruka jumped on its back and they galloped away.

Mikan's muscles protested. "Meanie, everyone…" But she kept up her pace, envisioning Persona in her mind. Her training consisted not only of Alice training but also, body building and mental block and Persona was the demon of training in hell after all. She guessed she had to thank him for that. She might actually be able to finish this after all.

"What do you want?" Natsume narrowed his eyes at Lilika, who feigned hurt.

"Oh don't you remember? Back when you were first brought into the academy. I was your sempai in her last year of highschool", Lilika pointed towards her chest.

A memory flashed inside of Natsume and he recalled the sempai from all these years ago. In his memories, she used to have tamed, slick, straight hair and her attitude was quieter and more serious back then. Natsume looked up at his former dangerous ability classmate.

"Hag?"

Lilika snorted. "Oh, how I missed that endearing nickname. You haven't changed at all."

Natsume was at a loss for words. Back when he was eight years old and afraid of his ability; afraid of himself, there was always a sempai who helped tame his powers, training him to have utmost control. If it wasn't for her, he'd probably have lost his mind.

"Hmm", Lilika commented. "That Sakura girl, is it? She's not doing too bad." He followed her gaze to where Mikan, was surprisingly, running in the middle. At the front, those with helpful alices were streaming ahead but there were also many running and lagging at the back.

Lilika watched him silently. "Maybe you have changed slightly after all." She commented.

"What?"

"Nothing. Go join them now."

"Tch."

Mikan was panting, feeling betrayed whenever she caught the glance, of Hotaru's machine mobile gliding away at the front or Ruka's galloping stallion. She couldn't feel her legs anymore; they felt like walking stilts, stumbling before her before the rest of her body was in sync. Suddenly, footsteps fell in place with her own.

"Nat—na sume?" She wheezed out.

Looking relaxed and not the least out of breath, Natsume smirked. "6th lap."

"Whaa-t?" Mikan grounded out. He was kept behind her and when he had started, she was already on her 3rd, yet he had caught up so easily.

"So slow, polka. Maybe I should go ahead."

"N-no." Mikan protested. She sped up.

They continued to run like this for the last few laps. The evening had already settled upon them, turning into night. Mikan and Natsume's breaths crystallized in the cold air and what Mikan did not realize, was that they were running alone. Behind them, the runners had fallen back in exhaustion, while those who had used their alices were already at the finishing line. Their footsteps, the crunching of the grass and Mikan's heavy breathing were all that could be heard.

Finally reaching the finishing line, Mikan flopped onto the glass.

"Ok, the race is over." Lilika yelled, with her magnified voice. Everyone winced. "Everyone who was not able to complete the race is disqualified and out of the event."

Mikan sighed in relief; she was really glad to have not given up half way through.

* * *

Mikan walked into her room, jumping when she saw who it was lounging in her chair, although she had expected as much from their previous agreement.

Persona stood up and held something out to her. She took it and looked down at it. In her hand, she held a silver mask with simple eyes and mouth holes, as well as protruding wolf ears. Acting as a cape and coat, a beautiful dark wolf hide flowed down from the top like a hair wig. It felt soft in her hands, yet heavy, as if conveying the heavy obstacles that would come from accepting it. And, yet, it was perfect; no one would know who she was and the wolf hide would cover all of her hair.

She looked up to see Persona smile chillingly.

"Welcome to the dangerous ability class."

* * *

**HOTARU: (announcement) "Invention #302- Baka Cushion.**

**Use this for comfort, decoration and what you generally use a cushion for. Has a special built-in-function for absorbing the impacts of any bakas you may encounter by inflating and acting as a shield. Success has been confirmed as it has been tested on the utmost baka of bakas.  
**

**Buy for 200 Rabbits Now.**

**MIKAN: *still crying in pain* Who are you talking to? **

**A/N: PLEASE R&amp;R :D**

**Also, for anyone who is wondering. I envisioned Princess Monoke's mask when I was writing about Mikan's one. It basically has the same features (mask and wolf fur) but the design is different :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own Princess Monoke's awesome mask hehe.**


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